Meanings
nounchicken switch (plural chicken switches)
plural chicken switches
- informalAn emergency switch or button used to abort a process in case of failure.
Synonyms: chicken button
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn emergency switch or button used to abort a process in case of failure.
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Also see
Origin
See chicken (“a coward”).
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
chicken switch. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chicken%20switch
MLA
“chicken switch.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chicken%20switch. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chicken switch,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chicken%20switch.
Source: chicken switch on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.